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A massive recall of beef processed in Alberta meant more sales in the last week for Ontario cattle producers, but the scare has left the local industry worried about its future.

The executive director of the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association, Jim Clark, shared with The Free Press his outlook in the aftermath of the E. coli outbreak and massive recalls from XL Foods Inc.:

Q: What has the recall meant so far for Ontario’s beef industry?

Sales were up last week as retailers replaced recalled beef with prime rib in demand for Thanksgiving.

Q: Long-term effects?

The recall shook the ­confidence of consumers and that will hurt beef sales across the board until that confidence is restored.

Q: What can be done to restore confidence?

The industry must address the concerns of consumers and push for changes where needed. Right now, consumers ­usually can’t tell, looking at grocery shelves, where steak or ground beef was processed. There’s been progress on tracing meat, but there’s a long way to go.

Q: What do you make of the fact that the tainted meat was flagged by American customs weeks before Canadian ­regulators took action?

We have questions about that, too. What sort of safeguards were in place here? How did this ­happen? This is the first time E. coli also has been found in muscle cuts (as opposed to just ground beef).

Q: How can Ontarians know beef was processed in one of the province’s four plants?

Some producers have ­organized a spacial label here that says, “Ontario corn-fed beef.”